The modern consumer interacts with brands through social media, radio, apps, and many other channels. Because of this, it's nearly impossible to cater to your customers with a one-size-fits-all marketing approach. For maximum success, you must meet your audience on different platforms with a multi-channel marketing strategy.
When implemented correctly, multi-channel marketing results in impactful connections with your brand's consumers. Before you begin, you'll need to have a good understanding of how this advertising strategy works. Follow these steps to plan, launch, and improve your multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Understanding Multi-Channel Marketing
A powerful multi-channel marketing campaign is designed to meet your customers through all kinds of digital platforms such as social media, websites, mobile apps, and email. You'll also use traditional methods, like signage or in-store promotions, to keep your customers engaged. Such a strategy will result in both short- and long-term customer engagement.
Compared to single-channel advertising, a multi-channel strategy allows you to achieve customer retention rates of up to 91%. You will get the best results if you can maintain an integrated, seamless customer experience across each platform.
Knowing Your Target Audience
Multi-channel marketing campaigns are only effective if you utilize the platforms that your audience loves to use. For example, if your customers mainly gravitate towards TikTok, you will end up losing money if you use all your advertising budget on Facebook.
Similarly, customers who have already been faithful customers of a brand for many years might prefer in-store advertisements or printed flyers. You can still use digital tools to attract new customers, as well as keep in touch with your old ones. For example, customers of any demographic will likely appreciate a personalized thank you email (perhaps with a discount code on their next order) after making a purchase. Develop your multi-channel marketing strategy based on your customers' preferred platforms, as well as their preferences and buying behaviors.
Consistent Branding Across Channels
Regardless of which channels you use in your campaigns; your brand's image must remain the same across each one. A brand is easily recognizable by its messages through text, the design of its logos or graphics, and the overall tone of its advertisements. If you can maintain a consistent brand voice, you'll instill more trust and gain credibility amongst your customers. This consistency has also been shown to translate into revenue boosts as high as 23%.
Utilize Social Media Effectively
Because it allows you to connect with thousands of diverse individuals each day, social media is often thought of as the centerpiece of any multi-channel marketing campaign. It gives you so many opportunities to create meaningful experiences with interactive posts that integrate text, video, and even audio elements. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are also excellent platforms to handle customer service inquiries. Your advertising content should be customized to suit the strengths and the audiences of each digital channel.
Email Marketing: Personalization is Key
60% of customers will stay loyal to a brand that delivers personalization. Keeping the preferences of your audience in mind, you can produce quality email advertising content that will resonate with each customer. Relevancy is also a key factor to a successful email marketing campaign, so take advantage of automation tools. Using these, you'll be able to reach your customers at the times when they're most likely to engage with your brand.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
You'll be able to enjoy more digital traffic (and increased customer satisfaction) if your website can be easily viewed on mobile devices. The same applies to any links that you include in your emails and advertisements on social media. With zero technology roadblocks, customers will feel more encouraged to communicate with your brand.
Leverage Data Analytics
Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you determine if your advertising efforts are truly reaching your customers. KPIs typically include customer acquisition costs, conversion rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and gross sales. Keep a close eye on all of these so that you can pivot your platform allocation strategy as needed.
Embrace Emerging Technologies
In the modern age, brands can create advertisements with augmented/virtual reality tools and streamline the customer journey with chatbots. Staying relevant amongst the competition requires you to be adaptable and receptive to new technologies. When you stay on top of industry and digital marketing trends, it makes a better impression on your customers and ensures the continued growth of your business.
How to Create the Perfect Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy
Perfecting the customer experience through marketing requires a deep understanding of your audience as well as your brand. Take the time to cultivate relationships on each of your platforms, and always be open to learning about how modern technology can enhance your marketing campaigns. When in doubt, just look at your data to see where you could better meet your customers' needs.
If the answer isn't obvious, we invite you to consult with the marketing experts at Mid-West Family. Utilize our strategy teams to brainstorm ideas and assess your customer journey and customer avatars as well. We use the latest digital marketing methods, from email to social media, to create customized marketing strategies that produce an effective return on investment that you can see. Ready to boost your marketing to the next level? Contact our team of advertising experts today.
